Stupid Statue
by Zogeta
Summary: One hit wonder based on Vegeta's thoughts about the great orange baka's departure with the Eternal Dragon.


Stupid Statue

By Zogeta

7 June

Summary: Kakarot has picked up and gone again with the Dragon, and Vegeta finds himself talking to an undoubtedly hideous statue.

_A huge statue in his likeness is just not Kakarot's style._

Vegeta glared up at the offending statue. And he had a point; Kakarot never took credit for anything, couldn't even remember how many times he'd saved the Earth off-hand. The grey…monstrosity offended Vegeta's sense of aesthetics and he folded his arms as he continued glaring up at it.

"And now you're gone again, Kakarot. I guess its just as well you can't see this damn thing; it'd send you into one of those irritating giggles for hours just because you would be too nice to say that you don't like it."

He sat on a bench nearby, head propped in his hand. The sun caught the gray in his hair, was even less kind to the crow's feet around his eyes and his frown lines. Still toned, still fit, but nowhere near as strong as he was thirty years ago. Everyone was dying or dead these days. Bulma had proverbially put down her safety goggles and screwdriver; Kakarot's woman had finally fallen silent. Krillin was gone (after dying for the fifth and last time), leaving behind his eternally youthful wife. Yamcha and Tien had moved on and Videl had hung up her Saiyawoman outfit for good, and Gohan was still reeling.

Vegeta was sitting at the age of one hundred and eighty. He was strong enough to defeat Frieza at this point, but it was a far cry from where he had once been. He couldn't go Super Saiyan four anymore, but his tail had regrown because of all the transformations. He swung said tail onto his lap and looked at the grey streaks amongst the mahogany fur. He wondered what Bulma would say about his grey hair. She'd probably have loved it. He regretted cutting his spikes short all those years ago, and it had thankfully grown back, silver raking from his temples back.

Signs of a life lived. A long, eventful life that his fading memory was starting to forget. He couldn't remember his years with Frieza anymore. He remembered people, but not places or dates or minor events. He looked up at the statue, at the disgustingly cheesy look on Kakarot's graven face.

_But I remember everything involving you, Kakarot. It's been so long since you've gone, and I'm not going to be around for much longer. Maybe ten years, at the most. I still remember what you said, and being surprised that I was the only person you really said goodbye to._

He smiled absently.

_You'd be proud of the army of half-breeds running around now. I've got a granddaughter that looks exactly like Bulma, and a great grandson that looks like Trunks. The blood has been diluted, but their will is strong. And your line of descendents is no less strong than mine. One day you'll meet them. You're a legend here; their parents tell them of the great 'Goku'…and my grandkids know only of the amazing 'Kakarot'._

Vegeta shook his head, leaning back and smirking up at the statue. "Are you having fun, wherever you are? It's so like you to run away."

The statue just smiled at him, and Vegeta scowled. "Well, they certainly got that one idiot grin of yours right. But that's beside the point. You know, after all these years you've been away, with Cell, and that runt Uub, I would have thought that you'd want to spend some time with the family and friends you always wanted to protect."

He ran his hand back through his silvery spikes, absently fisting his hand into the locks.

"Hell, Kakarot, I want to shout and be angry with you for leaving all the responsibility with me and be pissed that you didn't want to stay, but I can't honestly blame you. I get wanderlust too, I also want to travel and see the Universe, like I once did. Now…now I'm stuck on this planet waiting to die. Training toddlers and teenagers…it would have been nice to have you here to pass the time with me. I never did get to know you all that well, and it's always been one of my major regrets."

He counted back in his head, watching the pigeons strut around his bench. "It's been, what, more than a century since you've left? Heh, and to think you left that much of an impression on me. Do you even remember me? The short Saiyan, the one with the ego and big hair? Combat armour and boots? You probably don't…even though we did have some good fights together. Like Vegito, and Buu, and Cooler and Janemba and at the end, that freak dragon. Maybe you remember those fights, maybe you don't."

Vegeta looked at his watch, then stood up, arms folded. "I may not like your statue at all, Kakarot, but I can't help having a respect for the man it stands for."

The old, infamous smirk crept into place as he sauntered away, hands dropping to rest in his pockets.

"Wherever you are, you bastard, I hope you're well. I'll see you for a spar on the Other Side."

END


End file.
